Internet facsimile apparatus

ABSTRACT

Internet facsimile apparatus  1  notifies a facsimile number of the final destination to server  3  and acquires an e-mail address of a relay apparatus from server  3 . And it transmits an e-mail attached image information to Internet facsimile apparatus  2  corresponding to the acquired e-mail address. At this time, it inserts a relay transfer instruction command to a part of a header of the e-mail to order a relay transfer. Internet facsimile apparatus  2  functioning as a relay apparatus converts a specific predetermined information among the header information of the e-mail to be relay transferred into the same format as that of the image information, and transmits the converted specific information with the image information to facsimile apparatus  4  of the final destination.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an Internet facsimile apparatus fortransmitting and receiving image information in the Internet.

2. Description of the Related Art

An Internet facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting and receivingimage information in the Internet has been put into practical use.

In the case where a user with an Internet facsimile apparatuscommunicates with another user also with an Internet facsimileapparatus, they transmit and receive image information attached e-mailby Internet. On contrast, in the case where a user with an Internetfacsimile apparatus communicates with another user with an ordinaryfacsimile apparatus, they transmit and receive image formation bytelephone line network.

And an Internet facsimile apparatus also works as a relay apparatus totransfer the received image information by Internet to a facsimileapparatus by telephone line network.

FIG. 1 is a concept diagram illustrating the case where information istransmitted from an Internet facsimile apparatus to an ordinaryfacsimile apparatus.

In the case of transmitting facsimile data from Internet facsimileapparatus 11 to ordinary facsimile apparatus 12, two transmissionmethods are considered. One is via public switched telephone network asrouting A illustrated in FIG. 1, and another one is via Internet asrouting B to routing C illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the transmission method via Internet, image information istransmitted by e-mail to Internet facsimile apparatus 13 working as arelay apparatus, the image information is converted to facsimile data atInternet facsimile apparatus 13, then the facsimile data is transferredto ordinary facsimile apparatus 12.

Generally, since the communication cost by e-mail is inexpensive, thecommunication cost can be reduced by using Internet facsimile apparatus13 locating distance to facsimile apparatus 12 as a relay apparatus.

However in the case of transferring image information by a conventionalInternet facsimile apparatus, since an operator needs to input an e-mailaddress and others of the Internet facsimile apparatus as a relayapparatus besides a facsimile number of facsimile apparatus of the finaldestination, the operation is complicated. And it has the problem thatthe header information of sender and others is not transferred as imageinformation into a facsimile apparatus of the final destination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to acquire the same output imageas that obtained by telephone line network at the facsimile apparatus ofthe final destination when image information is transmitted via theInternet, by inputting only a facsimile number of facsimile apparatus ofthe final destination to transmit.

In the present invention, the above object is achieved by storing at aserver e-mail addresses of Internet facsimile apparatus as a relayapparatus corresponding to facsimile numbers of facsimile apparatus ofthe final destination, transmitting an e-mail attached a relay transferinstruction command with a facsimile number of facsimile apparatus ofthe final destination to the Internet facsimile apparatus at the e-mailaddress notified by the server, and extracting at the Internet facsimileapparatus as a relay apparatus the facsimile number of facsimileapparatus of the final destination from the relay transfer instructioncommand attached to the e-mail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a concept diagram illustrating the case where information istransmitted from a conventional Internet facsimile apparatus to anordinary facsimile apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a concept diagram of a system including an Internet facsimileapparatus in the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a database configuration of arouting information table in the above embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a procedure explanation diagram illustrating a relay transferprocedure of the system including an Internet facsimile apparatus in theabove embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are data configuration diagrams of before and afterheader edit at the Internet facsimile apparatus in the above embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a server configured in a network to which theInternet facsimile apparatus in the above embodiment of the presentinvention is connected.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The embodiment of the present invention is explained with reference todrawings in the following.

FIG. 2 is a concept diagram of a system including an Internet facsimileapparatus in the embodiment of the present invention.

This system is composed of Internet facsimile apparatus 1 of the sender,Internet facsimile apparatus 2 as a relay apparatus, server 3 having arouting information table and facsimile apparatus 4 of the finaldestination. And Internet facsimile apparatus 1, Internet facsimileapparatus 2 and server 3 are connected to a network capable of e-mailcommunication. Connection 3′ serves to connect the server 3 to thenetwork. Internet facsimile apparatus 2 and facsimile apparatus 4 of thefinal destination implement a facsimile communication via ordinarypublic switched telephone network.

In the following, an Internet facsimile apparatus as a relay apparatusis abbreviated as “relay apparatus”, and a facsimile apparatus of thefinal destination is abbreviated as “final destination”.

Internet facsimile apparatus 1 and 2 are primarily composed of ascanning section for reading an original and generating imageinformation, a data converting section for converting a data format ofimage information, a transmitting and receiving section for transmittingand receiving an e-mail attached image information, a recording sectionfor recording received image information in a recording paper, a controlsection for controlling each section and an operating section for havingdifferent operation buttons and transferring an instruction of anoperator to the control section.

For instance in the case of transmitting image information from Internetfacsimile apparatus 1 to Internet facsimile apparatus 2, an operatorsets an original at a scanning section and inputs at an operationsection a facsimile number of a destination and push a start button.

According to the operation, the original is read at the scanning sectionbased on control by the control section and image information isgenerated. The generated image information is converted into e-mail dataat the data converting section then transmitted from the transmittingand receiving section as an attached file of e-mail.

The transmitted e-mail is received at Internet facsimile apparatus 2 ofa destination via the Internet. The image information attached to thereceived e-mail is converted into facsimile data at the data convertingsection then output in a recording paper at the recording section.

Server 3 has a database of a routing information table in which afacsimile number of final destination 4 is corresponded to an e-mailaddress of relay apparatus 2.

The database is explained briefly with a schematic diagram illustratedin FIG. 3. The routing information table is composed of e-mail addressesof relay apparatus, facsimile numbers of final destinations of whicheach relay apparatus takes charge, reception capability indicative ofimage processing capability of the relay apparatus and supported dataformat.

To use Internet facsimile apparatus 2 as a relay apparatus, at the timeInternet facsimile apparatus 2 is connected to a network, theadministration items illustrated in FIG. 3 are registered in server 3.This registration may be programmed to finish automatically after anoperator inputs the requirement items and transmits them to server 3 bya certain operation. After the registration is finished, Internetfacsimile apparatus 2 is immediately available as a relay apparatus.

An operator transmits image information easily without negotiating witha relay apparatus by acquiring these items memorized in the database andimplementing certain operations according to these items.

Next a transmission procedure is explained in the case where imageinformation is transmitted from Internet facsimile apparatus 1 tofacsimile apparatus 4 of the final destination via Internet facsimileapparatus 2 as a relay apparatus, with a procedure explanation diagramillustrated in FIG. 4.

First when an operator inputs a facsimile number of the finaldestination and pushes a start button, Internet facsimile apparatus 1reads an original facsimile. Internet facsimile apparatus 1 connects toserver 3 via the Internet and inquires about a relay e-mail address. Theinquiring about a relay e-mail address is executed by notifying afacsimile number of the final destination with a certain message commandincluded in a message of e-mail to server 3.

Next server 3 searches the notified facsimile number of the finaldestination and returns an e-mail address, the reception capabilityindicative of processing capability for image information, supporteddata format and others of the corresponding relay apparatus to Internetfacsimile apparatus 1. The operations of the server 3 are explained indetail later.

As described above, an operator can acquire all information needed fortransmission only by notifying a facsimile number of the finaldestination to server 3 without a negotiation to confirm the receptioncapability of a relay apparatus in each communication procedure.

Next according to the e-mail address of the relay apparatus notified byserver 3, Internet facsimile apparatus 1 transmits an e-mail to relayapparatus 2. The e-mail is attached the image information converted intothe data format supported by the relay apparatus, for instance the TIFFformat based on the reception capability of the relay apparatus. And theheader information of the e-mail is attached a relay transferinstruction command having a facsimile number of final destination 4.

As a reception capability of a relay apparatus registered in server 3,the maximum capability among reception abilities of the relay apparatusor terminal facsimile apparatus connected to the relay apparatus may beregistered so that the load in a network can be reduced withouttransmitting data of over specification.

According to the procedure described above, an operator can transmit anecessary relay transfer instruction command and image information atone transmission operation, that allows to simplify the transmissionoperation and to reduce the total transmission time.

Next relay apparatus 2 depresses the received image informationcompressed with a TIFF format, compresses it with, for instance an MRcompression, then converts the data that final destination 4 canreceive. Further on the basis of a relay transfer instruction command,it fetches the facsimile number of final destination 4 from the receivede-mail and transmits the data into the destination.

Further relay apparatus 2 converts the header information of thereceived e-mail to the image information, compresses it with the samedata format as that of the image information, then transmits it with theimage information. That allows final destination 4 to output the headerinformation that an ordinary facsimile apparatus does not output. Bythis way, a receiver can obtain all routing information through whichfacsimile data passes, such as sender information, relay terminalinformation and so on.

Further relay apparatus 2 can process the header information editdescribed in the following, to enable an output image visual. FIG. 5 isa data configuration diagram of Internet facsimile apparatus. FIG. 5Aillustrates a data configuration before the header edit and FIG. 5Billustrates a data configuration after the header edit.

As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the e-mail data received by a relay apparatusis attached a variety of information as a header in a front of afacsimile image of main part. The header information contains itemsunnecessary to output, which makes the received image not visual if alloutput.

Then with a filter as illustrated in FIG. 5B, some items are deleted sothat the necessary items are only left, such as “From”, “To”, “Subject”and so on. In this manner since no unnecessary item is transmitted,avisual image output can be obtained at final destination 4.

Relay apparatus 2 can select any items at the header information todelete according to operator's requirements so that only the necessaryheader information is output at a received picture.

Next the operations at server 3 are explained with FIG. 6, which is aflow chart illustrating the operations of a server configured in anetwork to which the Internet facsimile apparatus is connected.

First when an e-mail is received from an Internet facsimile apparatus(ST601), server 3 extracts a message command from the received data(ST602), then decides whether or not it is an information notificationmessage (ST603).

This information notification message is for a new Internet facsimileapparatus to notify its capability for the registration of the itemsillustrated in FIG. 3 when it is first connected to a network.

In the case where a message command is an information notificationmessage, the database of server 3 is updated to register the new items(ST604). After the registration is finished, an Internet facsimileapparatus is available as a relay apparatus.

In the case where a message command is not an information notificationmessage, it decides whether or not it is a relay inquiring message(ST605). When it is not a relay inquiring message, another processing isexecuted (ST606).

In the case where a message command is an information notificationmessage, server 3 searches the database by referring a table (ST607),and returns the e-mail address, the reception capability, supported dataformat of the notified relay apparatus to the Internet facsimileapparatus inquiring (ST608).

In this manner only by notifying a facsimile number of finaldestination, an operator acquires an e-mail address and others of theInternet facsimile apparatus registered as a relay apparatus at therouting information table. That simplifies the following transmissionoperations by the operator.

As described above, in the present invention an operator can transmitimage information via a relay apparatus only by inputting a facsimilenumber of the final destination. Then the same output image as thatobtained by public switched telephone network can be obtained at thefinal destination.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication system for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication system comprising: a transmission apparatus configured to be connected to the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network; a plurality of relay apparatuses configured to be connected between the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network; a plurality of final destination apparatuses configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network, each of said final destination apparatuses having a corresponding facsimile number and a controlling relay apparatus, wherein the controlling relay apparatus is one of said plurality of relay apparatuses; and a server apparatus configured to be connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus, said server apparatus comprising a table listing for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, the corresponding facsimile number and an address of the controlling relay apparatus; wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the corresponding facsimile number of one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to said server apparatus via the Internet to send image data to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, wherein said server apparatus retrieves, from said table, the address of the controlling relay apparatus, associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses, and notifies said transmission apparatus of the address of the controlling relay apparatus via the Internet; wherein said transmission apparatus transmits, via the Internet, the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to the address of said controlling relay apparatus; and wherein said controlling relay apparatus transmits the image data contained in the e-mail to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses by a facsimile procedure, via the publicly switched telephone network, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said table of said server apparatus further lists, for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, image processing capability information corresponding to said controlling relay apparatus.
 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by said controlling relay apparatus.
 4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said server apparatus further notifies said transmission apparatus of said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus, and said transmission apparatus adapts the image data to the image processing capability information and transmits the adapted image data to said controlling relay apparatus.
 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of final destination apparatuses are configured to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network.
 6. A communication system for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication system comprising: a transmission apparatus configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network; a plurality of final destination apparatuses configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network, each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses having a corresponding facsimile number; a plurality of relay apparatuses configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network, each of said plurality of relay apparatuses having a relay apparatus address and controlling at least one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses; and a server apparatus connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus and said plurality of relay apparatuses, said server apparatus comprising a table listing, for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, the corresponding facsimile number and the relay apparatus address of said controlling relay apparatus; wherein each of said plurality of relay apparatuses registers record data in said table of said server apparatus, said record data comprising a relay apparatus address and a corresponding facsimile number of said at least one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses controlled by said one of said plurality of relay apparatuses; wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the corresponding facsimile number to said server apparatus via the Internet to send image data to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses; wherein said server apparatus retrieves, from said table, the address of said controlling relay apparatus, associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses, and transmits the address of said controlling relay apparatus to said transmission apparatus via the Internet; wherein said transmission apparatus transmits the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to the address of said controlling relay apparatus via the Internet; and wherein said controlling relay apparatus transmits the image data contained in the e-mail to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses by a facsimile procedure via the publicly switched telephone network, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network.
 7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said server apparatus further lists image processing capability information corresponding to each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.
 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.
 9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses further notifies said server apparatus of its respective image processing capability information.
 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said server apparatus notifies said transmission apparatus of the image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus, and said transmission apparatus adapts the image data to said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus, and then transmits the adapted image data to said controlling relay apparatus.
 11. The system according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of final destination apparatuses are configured to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network.
 12. A communication method for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication method comprising: transmitting from a transmission apparatus to a server apparatus, via the Internet, a facsimile number corresponding to one of a plurality of final destination apparatuses, said server apparatus comprising a table listing for each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses a corresponding facsimile number and address of a controlling relay apparatus; retrieving from said table of said server apparatus the address of said controlling relay apparatus associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses; transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, the address of said controlling relay apparatus; transmitting from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses; and transmitting from said controlling relay apparatus to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, via the publicly switched telephone network by a facsimile procedure, the image data contained in the e-mail, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network; whereas said transmission apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network; the server apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus; said controlling relay apparatus is one of a plurality of relay apparatuses which is configured to be connected between the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network; and said plurality of final destination apparatuses is configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network.
 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said table of said server apparatus further lists image processing capability information corresponding to each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.
 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.
 15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus; adapting the image data to the image processing capability information; and transmitting from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the adapted image data.
 16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of final destination apparatuses are configured to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network.
 17. A method for receiving image data by facsimile via the Internet and a publicly switched telephone network, said communication method comprising: assigning, from a plurality of relay apparatuses, a controlling relay apparatus to control at least one of a plurality of final destination apparatuses; transmitting from said controlling relay apparatus to a server apparatus, via the Internet, record data corresponding to said controlling relay apparatus, said record data comprising an address of said controlling relay apparatus and a facsimile number corresponding to each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses controlled by said controlling relay apparatus; registering said record data in a table contained in said server apparatus; transmitting, from a transmission apparatus to said server apparatus, via the Internet, a facsimile number corresponding to one of a plurality of final destination apparatuses; retrieving, from said table of said server apparatus, the address of said controlling relay apparatus associated with said one of said plurality of the final destination apparatuses; transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, the address of said controlling relay apparatus; transmitting from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the image data contained in an e-mail and the facsimile number corresponding to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses; and transmitting from said controlling relay apparatus to said one of said plurality of final destination apparatuses, via the publicly switched telephone network by a facsimile procedure, the image data contained in the e-mail, so that the image data is sequentially transmitted through a communication path via the Internet and the publicly switched telephone network; wherein said transmission apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network, said plurality of relay apparatuses are being configured to be connected to the Internet and to the publicly switched telephone network; said server apparatus is configured to be connected to the Internet and accessible by said transmission apparatus and said plurality of relay apparatuses, and said plurality of final destination apparatuses are being configured to be connected to the publicly switched telephone network.
 18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising listing, on the server apparatus, image processing capability information corresponding to each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said image processing capability information comprises a data format and a resolution of an image supportable by said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses.
 20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said each of said plurality of relay apparatuses further notifies said server apparatus of its respective image processing capability information.
 21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: transmitting from said server apparatus to said transmission apparatus, via the Internet, said image processing capability information of said controlling relay apparatus; adapting the image data to the image processing capability information; and transmitting, from said transmission apparatus to said controlling relay apparatus, via the Internet, the adapted image data.
 22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising configuring each of said plurality of final destination apparatuses to be connected only to the publicly switched telephone network. 